The wife of the Governor of Anambra State, Nonye Soludo, has denied claims by presidential candidate Peter Obi that he and his wife are godparents to her children. In a statement released by her media assistant, Mrs Soludo said Peter Obi's wife is the godmother to her daughter, but this does not make Peter Obi the godfather. She cited the canon laws of the Catholic Church to clarify the distinction.
According to Mrs Soludo, the Catholic Church's Code of Canon Law, specifically Canon 873, provides for one sponsor, either male or female, or one male and one female sponsor, for a child's baptism. She emphasized that the responsibility of being a sponsor belongs to the person formally designated as such, and not automatically to their spouse.
Mrs Soludo's statement was in response to arguments that, since Peter Obi's wife is the godmother to her daughter, Peter Obi himself can claim to be the godfather. However, she insisted that marriage does not transfer the canonical role of sponsor from one spouse to the other. She urged Peter Obi's supporters to respect the Church's definition of baptismal godparenting.
The First Lady of Anambra State further clarified that the Church recognizes only the person formally designated as the child's baptismal sponsor. She stated that personal interpretations of relationships should not be presented as the Church's definition. According to her, the names of sponsors are recorded in the baptismal register, alongside the names of the minister and the parents.
Mrs Soludo also emphasized that Catholic practice is precise and that arguments should be equally precise. She advised Peter Obi's supporters to apply common sense and logic to the issue. The statement was released to correct what she described as a deliberate or misguided attempt to turn a straightforward Catholic practice into something it is not.
The controversy arose after Peter Obi claimed that he and his wife are godparents to Soludo's children. However, Mrs Soludo's statement makes it clear that only her husband's consent to her accepting the responsibility as godmother, his presence at the ceremony, or his personal relationship with the child does not make him a baptismal godfather.
The issue highlights the importance of understanding the Catholic Church's laws and practices regarding baptismal sponsorship. Mrs Soludo's clarification aims to settle the matter and prevent further misinterpretation of the Church's rules. The Anambra State governor's wife has maintained that her daughter's godmother is Peter Obi's wife, and not Peter Obi himself.
Key points
- Nonye Soludo cites Canon 873 of the Code of Canon Law to clarify that a spouse does not automatically become a child's godparent.
